US3 min(s) read
Published 09:52 09 Jul 2026 GMT
On June 30, 16 children, aged between one-and-a-half and 18, were discovered and rescued after spending at least four years “kept in worse conditions than livestock”, and their responsible adults were arrested in Ohio.
Heartbreakingly, the children had suffered such “serious physical harm” that two had to be flown to specialist trauma centres, while another seven were taken to Columbus Hospitals, with one admitted to the ICU and intubated.
The children's father, Gary Siders Jr., 36, mother Elizabeth Siders, 33, and grandparents Gary Siders Sr., 73, and Christina Siders, 77, were arrested and charged with 16 counts of child endangerment. However, they have all since pleaded not guilty.
However, in the case’s latest twist, Vinton County Prosecutor William Archer announced at a press conference on Wednesday, July 8, that Gary Siders Sr., the children’s grandfather, has left jail and been admitted to hospital.
Following a medical emergency, he has been released on a recognizance bond, which allows an arrested person to leave jail without paying money.
During the conference, Archer explained that en route to a preliminary hearing, Siders “fell and had a medical issue that required treatment and assessment”.
Reportedly, he was taken to a nearby hospital where doctors discovered that he had a “serious medical condition” that needs to be treated in a different county.
According to Archer, the grandfather will receive treatment elsewhere, as he claimed that Vinton County, which would be responsible for paying the bill as he was housed at Vinton County Jail, would not be able to afford it and it could "bankrupt" the county.
Archer added: “We were not going to put that burden on our taxpayers, and so it was agreed that we would do a recognizance bond so he could get the medical treatment that the doctors say he needs and won’t cost the county that money.
“If he's released from then, he will then be equipped with a GPS monitor."
Although there is little else known about Siders Sr.’s health condition, an attorney representing the reprobate, Dorian Baum, said he has major concerns about how his client acted during the arraignment.
Baum said: “Just by looking at him, my first impression is I have concerns about his competence. I have concerns about his mental health. I have concerns about his ability to assist in his own defense. These are all things that are bedrock, bedrock conditions you need to move forward in any case.
"So my first initial talking with him essentially is going to be, you know, is this a person who we need to evaluate for whether or not he's competent to stand trial? Is this a person who is potentially not guilty by reason of insanity or any of the other possible defenses?"
